Firewire or USB external HD.. which is best?...

I've just lost most of the stuff on my iMac 2.4 Ghz computer. I've now got to buy an external hard drive in order to do an "automatic" back up...
I'm not a power user, but I do store a fair amount of photos. So, my problem is wether to get a USB or a Firewire 400/800 external hard drive. I know that firewire's faster than USB, but since its just "storing" why would I need a fast firewire versus a USB hard drive?
I'm at a total loss here and would appreciate any info. And yes, I've read some "horror stories" about external hard drives simply dropping dead!.. and I've also read that even the very best hard drives will eventually meet their demise!.. so now, I'm really confused as to which external hard drive to buy!.
USB is cheaper than Firewire. So, do I really need the speed of a Firewire that is "invisible" to my eye?
Again, I'd really appreciate any info. I usually buy from Amazon.com. Any help/info would be most appreciated.
Thanks.

You might want to check these out; I currently have two and have never had a problem with either (or the older two I used to have):
http://www.lacie.com/us/products/range.htm?id=10033
I've also heard positive comments on the hard drives from OWC (I don't have one, but I buy all my RAM there):
http://macsales.com/
Since any hard drive (internal or external) can (and, most likely, will at some point) fail, I have a complete clone of my system on both. Having a complete bootable backup (clone) will save a lot of time if you were to experience major problems on your Mac and/or had to have something replaced. Instead of having to start over once the problem is fixed, you can just boot off the external and clone your entire system back. I also have separate partitions on both with copies of my most important things (files, photos, etc). On top of that, I keep another copy of those important files on a DVD I burn, so even if all three hard drives were to fail, I still have my important files.
My newest LaCie hard drive has USB, eSATA, and Firewire 400 as well as 800 and I prefer using Firewire; I only use USB when there is no other choice. I've bought my hard drives from either Buy.com or Powermax.com; I don't buy from Amazon because they charge sales tax in my State.
Hope this helps.

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http://tech.ifelix.net/8014.html
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Firewire or USB external HD.. which is best?...

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